Temperature compensator for capacitors



March 11, 1952 B ROLFSON 2,588,882

TEMPERATURE COMPENSATOR FOR CAPACITORS Filed April 27, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l March 11, 1952 F. B. RoLFsoN 2,588,882

TEMPERATURE COMPENSATOR FOR CAPACITORS Filed April 27, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l 1 l l l i l I Coni-rol Ampiler' l 57 56- 55 Power- Suppl March 11, 1952 F. B. RoLFsoN 2,588,882

TEMPERATURE COMPENSATOR FOR CAPACITORS Filed April 27. 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Operai'nq @ange OciHaor Cathode Cun-enf Tomi Capacq of Resonomi' Cr'cu inver-wor: Fmi-:ds B. Row-'Son ab, His www M Patented Mar. 11, 1952 Francis E. Rolfson, San liable, Calif., assigner to Shell Development Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporaticn of Delaware Application April 2'?, 1948, Serial No. 23,437

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to temperature compensators for capacitors or condensers, and pertains more particularly to a temperature compensating condenser in a dielectric constant apparatus and circuit, providing means for counteracting variations in the circuit caused by changes, with temperature, in the dielectric constant of a vfluid under test.

Dielectric constant measurements have become increasingly important in recent years. the chemical laboratory these measurements are useful in the identication of compounds, the control of distillation and reactions, the dete'- mination o f purity and the measurement or molecular dipole moments.

rEhe dielectric constant of any substance be denned as the ratio of the capacity of a condenser with that substance between the plate to the capacity ol the same condenser with vacuum between the plates. Most of the present methods of measuring dielectric constants depend on the above concept. Hence a dielec ric constant meter for Iluids consists essentially of a circui adapted to measure changes in the capacity of a cell containing the iluid under test.

It is well known, of course', that the dielectric constant of a' substance, for example, an organic solvent such as acetone, varies considerably with temperature increases so that the dielectric constent temperatu 1e coefcients of the substances may be said to' be negative. Therefore, if accurate results are to be obtained, it is necessary to provide means for compensating for such tem perature changes or for maintaining at const temperature the dielectric constant cell containing the substance under test. The latter may be accomplished by surrounding the cell with a water jacket and providing means for circulating` a constant temperature fluid therethrough.

However, adeguate temperature control equip- A.

nient is both expansive and cumbersome and orten more than doubles the cost and bulli of a dielectric constant meter or apparatus.

lit is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide accurate inexpensive and ea ly portable means for temperature coinpensation on dielectric constant apparatus.

It is also an object ol the present invention to provide temperature compensators for condensers, said compensators Ibeing simple and inexpensive in construction and accurate in operation.

These other objects will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the present in- (Cl. SWS-183) vention, as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a diagrammatic View, partly in cross section, of a test cell employed in a dielectric constant apparatus.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 2 2 in Figure l.

ieure 3 is a schematic diagram of the elec- -al circuit of a dielectric constant apparatus incorporating the present invention.

e is a agrainmatic view of a dielectric constant apparatus according to the present invention which is electrically connected to means for measuring a change in dielectric constant utilizing it to operate flow controlling means.

Figure 5 is a curve illustrating the cathode or plate current characteristic of a crystal controlled oscillator.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a thermometer mounting incorporated in the present invention.

Figure 7 is another embodiment of a temperature compensating condenser plate.

Briefly, the dielectric constant apparatus com- E prises a dielectric constant test cell for the sample to be tested, an electrical circuit adapted to measure changes in capacity of the cell, and temperature compensating means adjacent the test cell for detecting changes of temperature within the cell and eirecting corresponding changes in said circuit, whereby a true measurement of the dielectric constant may 'oe obtained.

The dielectric constant test cell is constructed as a condenser adapted to contain a fluid dielectric. Any change in the dielectric constant of a iluid owing through the cell is readily ascertainable by measuring the change in capacity of the condenser-cell, provided said capacity does not vary -with temperature.

As shown in Figure l, the cell com-prises a preferably tubular outer shell or housing member I I, and a preferably tubular inner member I2. hese ers are insulated from each other and form the outer and inner plates or electrodes, respectively, of the condenser cell. The outer shell ll has fluid inlet and outlet means I3 and ifi, respectively, and is preferably closed at the top by a cover l5. A gasket IS between said cover l5 and shell I l forms a fluidtight seal while the cover is secured to the shell in any suitable manner, as by :bolts Il.

A short, downwardly extending tubular collar i 13 is ccncentrically positioned in a hole I 9 in said cover 5, being xedly secured thereto in any suitable manner as by welding. Coaxially located within said collar I8 and spaced therefrom is the tubular member l2. An annular ilange 2l), formed on or iixedly secured to said tubular member' has an insulating gasket ZI positioned on its upper surface so that a iluidtight seal is formed when the flange and gasket 2l are drawn up against the lower edge of the collar I6.

A cone-shaped insulator 22 having an axial bore 23 therethrough surrounds the upper p01'- tion of tubular member l2, thus cooperating with gasket 2i in effectively insulating said tubular member I2 from the outer shell II. The lower end of said tubular element I2 is preferably closed while the upper end 25 is outwardly threaded to receive a nut 23. Tightening of the nut Et causes the tube I2 to be drawn up so that increased pressure is exerted by flange 23 on gasliet 2i to form a iiuidtight seal. The shell lI and element l2 may be of any desired shape and having fluid inlet and outlet means positioned in any manner. Since the shell Il and tubular element i2 iorin the plates of the condenser-cell, they should be made of a material such as stainless steel, aluminum, copper, etc., and preferably are substantially the same shape.

The tubular element I2 is adapted to receive a mercury thermometer 21 and thus serves as a thermometer well having an inside diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the thermometer 21. The mercury bulb 23 of the thermometer 21 is capacitively coupled to the inner electrode or tubular member I2 of the cell, said capacitive coupling being enhanced preferably by means of a small amount of material 29 having a high dielectric constant such as, for example, glycerine. Use of a material 29 such as glycerine also serves to enhance the thermal conductivity between the mercury bulb 28 and the member I2. While a capacitive coupling between the mercury in the thermometer 21 and the tubular member I2 has proved especially suitable, an electrical connection may be substituted for this coupling if desired. As shown in Figure 6, this electrical connection may comprise a terminal 85 sealed in f the wall of the thermometer 21 having one end in contact with the mercury contained in an enlargement Ei in the capillary of the thermometer. The other end of terminal 95 is electrically connected by a lead 91 to the tubular member I2 of ,t

the cell, thus electrically connecting the mercury thread 32 to said inner member I2. In this same embodiment the tubular member I2 may be open at its lower end 24. The thermometer 21 may then be sealed therein in a fluidtight manner with any suitable sealing compound 98 whereby the bulb 28 is immersed directly in the iluid flow stream.

A vertical bar member 30, having a base plate 3 I, is secured to the cover I5 and electrically connected to said cover I5 and shell I l, or outer electrode of the cell, by means of bolts I1. This bar member 36, in conjunction with the mercury thermometer 21, forms the temperature compensator oi the present invention. The vertical bar member 3i! is positioned in parallel spaced relationship with the thermometer 21 adjacent thereto. Thus, bar member 3D and the mercury thread 32 of the thermometer 21 form the plates of a condenser with a dielectric between them consisting of air and the glass of the thermometer. As the temperature in the cell is increased, the mercury in the thermometer 21, measuring the temperature in the cell, is caused to expand which causes the mercury thread 32 to Ils@ l'fhll increasing the eiective area of the condenser plates and hence the capacity of this temperature-compensating condenser. Therefore, the capacity of the condenser-cell (formed by the shell II and the member l2), which may be said to be in parallel with the temperature-compensating condenser, is increased in an amount sufficient to offset any decrease in capacity of the cell due to an increase in the temperature of theuid dielectric therein.

Preferably the bar member comprises a plurality of segments that are individually adjustU able in a horizontal plane, either towards or away from the -vertical thermometer 21. As shown in Figures l and 2 the bar member 33 may be in the form of an angle-iron having a flexible metal strip 33 attached to the side adjacent the thermometer 21. The strip 33 may be secured to the bar 30 in any suitable manner, as by welding at 34. A plurality of slots 35 in said strip 33 divide it into a plurality of flexible segments 36. Opposite each segment 36, a hole (not shown) is drilled and tapped in bar member 36 to receive a screw 31. Thus, by adjusting the position ci the screws the distances between the segments 36 and the thermometer 21 may be set as desired. While this adjustable means is shown as a slotted strip 33, it is realized that it may be in many other suitable forms, such as, for example, a single strip with means for adjusting it or a vertical rod 5B having a plurality of horizontally adjustable metallic iiags 9| on it, as shown in Figure '1.

The resulting temperature compensator is a temperature sensitive condenser or capacitor Whose magnitude and linearity of response are adjustable and stable. The speed of response of such a temperature compensator is quite rapid, being limited only by the time constant of the thermometer. A substantial lag in the temperature compensator condenser may be overcome by removing the thermometer 21 and bar member 33 from their normal position in and adjacent the condenser-cell and inserting the thermometer in the fluid now stream upstream from the cell. The bar member 30 would then be mounted adjacent it. This gives the temperature compensator time to start responding so that it accurately corrects for temperature variations in the iluid at the moment it is owing through the cell. If the thermometer 21 and bar member 30 are not perfectly parallel, or if the thermometer varies in thickness, the linearity of a dielectric constant versus temperature curve is affected, thus indicating that inaccurate dielectric constant values would be obtained from a directv reading of the apparatus. These errors can be compensated for and eliminated by adjusting the spacings of the individual segments 36 with relation to the thermometer 21.

An electrical circuit for measuring changes in the capacity of the cell of Figure l, is schematically shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. This circuit comprises essentially an oscillator circuit 85, a resonant plate circuit 86, a controlled amplifier 51, and a recorder having a reversible motor 59. The necessary operating current is supplied to all of these component parts from a power supply shown at terminals 58.

The crystal controlled oscillator circuit comprises a crystal 4i) and a tube 4I having a grid 68, plate 43 and cathode 61. The tube @I is preferably a pentode, as shown in the drawing. A grid leak resistor 44 provides a grid return to the cathode 61 of the tube 4I. A choke coil 45 provides the necessary voltage l@ the plate 43 of the tube 4l and at the same time presents a high impedance to the A. C. component of the plate voltage. A feed-back condenser it feeds voltage from the plate circuit to the grid circuit. A bypass condenser il provides a low impedance path for the oscillations from the resonant plate circuit. A plate blocking condenser [it links the plate i3 of the tube fil with the resonantplate circuit. A screen by-pass condenser t5 isplaced between the screen grid d2 and the cathode 5l of the tube M.

The resonant plate circuit of the crystal controlled oscillator comprises an inductance 49, a variable measuring condenser 5t, a variable trimmer condenser 5I, the dielectric constant test cell 52 and the temperature-compensating element or condenser all bein;T electrically connected together in parallel and grounded at 54.

The cathode of the oscillator is grounded through a resistor 55 and a parallel by-pass condenser 5&3. The potential drop across said resistor provides a voltage for the control amplifier' 5l, said voltage being proportional to the oscillator cathode current. This current is normally constant when no change takes place in the dielectric constant of the substance in the cell 52 under test.

The control amplifier is electrically connected to operate a reversible motor 59 which is, in turn, mechanically linked to the pen 6i of a recorder 6E. The reversible motor 59 is also mechanically linked in any suitable manner to the variable measuring condenser Ell, this linkage being represented by a broken line 53.

The principle upon which the apparatus is based involves the cathode current characteristics of a crystal controlled oscillator at its resonance point. As shown in Figure 5, if the oscillator cathode current is plotted against the capacity of the resonant circuit. it will be seen from the curve obtained that in one section A-A of 'the curve, a large change in cathode current occurs for a relatively small change in the capacity of the resonant circuit at its resonance point, that is, for a certain narrow range of values A-A' of the total capacity of said resonant circuit. Therefore, by measuring the changes in the cathode current at or near said point, very small changes in the dielectric constant of a substance under test may be obtained.

In using the dielectric constant apparatus of the present invention to record changes in a continuously flowing iiuid stream, the fluid is run into and out of the condenser-test cell through inlet i3 and outlet ld, respectively, so that the exposed portion of the inner electrode or tubular member i2 is preferably completely covered with the :duid under test. If the tubular member l2 is not completely covered, the height of the iluid in the cell must be maintained at a constant level in order to obtain comparable capacity readings. A varying height of uid in the cell will cause undesirable changes in the capacity thereof.

With power applied to the crystal controlled oscillator and its resonant circuit, the variable trimmer condenser 5i (Figure 3) is adjusted to add sufcient capacity to that of the test cell 52 and temperature compensator 53 to bring the resonance of the circuit within the desired range so as to permit the use of the variable condenser 5l! for measuring and balancing any changes in the circuit.

When the apparatus has thus been adjusted and balanced, the oscillator cathode current remains constant when there is no change in dielectric constant of the substance in the test cell 52.

(iA-a When such a change occurs in the cell, the oscillator cathode current immediately changes, becoming greater or smaller. A change in the cathode current causes a correspondinT change in the voltage across the cathode resistor 55 which is amplified by control ampliiier 5'! so as to drive reversible motor 5d in one direction or the other. The motor, being mechanically linked to the variable measuring condenser te automatically changes the setting of said condenser 5S in the proper direction, thereby tuning or re-balancing the oscillator for constant cathode current. The recorder SQ being geared to the motor, thus records any changes in the capacity of the circuit, and hence measures any changes in Jrhe dielectric constant of the material in the test cell 52. Thus, if the capacity of the test cell 52 should decrease, the follow-up system (amplifier 5l, motor 59 and variable measuring condenser lili) would increase the capacity of condenser 5d to maintain the same total capacity in the resonant circuit, i. e. across the inductance 49.

Without a temperature compensator 53 in the circuit, any increase in temperature of the fluid under test would cause a change in the capacity of the test cell and a corresponding change in the dielectric constant reading thus indicating a possible change in the composition of the fluid under test. Actually the change might be entirely due to change in temperature.

With the present apparatus incorporating a temperature compensator, any increase in temperature decreases the capacity of the test cell 52, but at the same time the capacity of the temperature compensator is increased an equal and proportional amount as the rising mercury in the thermometer forms a condenser plate of increasing area, thereby maintaining the system in balance. Hence, no change in dielectric constant of the fluid is indicated with a change in temperature. Thus2 only a change in dielectric constant due to a change in composition. not to temperature is accurately indicated and recorded.

A dielectric constant apparatus according to the present invention has industrial appli.- cations. It may be used to detect small quantities of a contaminating substance, such as Water in the manufacture of acetone or other organic iiuids. It may also be used to control the distillation rate of various products by the distillation product at a certain dielectric constant value. As diagrammatically shown in Figure e, the accurate mixing of two iiuids in a flow line l may be controlled measuring the dielectric constant of the fluid in a test cell 52 positioned in the pipe line or in a by-pass '.'l thereof, downstream of the mixing point l2. The test cell 52, oscillator control amplier 5l and D.C. power source are electrically connected to a suitable controller-recorder la which is adapted to actuate and reset any suitable flow controlling means, such as a solenoid valve T5, in one product line 'i5 upstream of the mixing point l2.

While the temperature compensator of the present invention has been described hereinabove with regard to a dielectric constant apparatus, it is not intended to limit the scope of this invention to its use with the condensers of such an apparatus. The temperature compensator ci the present invention may be suitably connected to any other condenser or capacitor and serve as means for correcting for changes in the capacity of said condensers that are due to fluctuations of temperature therein.

Preferably, the sensitivity of any compensator should be equal to that of the condenser for which it is making temperature corrections, that is, the change in capacity per degree change in temperature should be the same for both "the compensator and the attached condenser. However, the change in capacity of the compensator and the condenser must be equal and opposite, i. e. the capacity of the compensator must increase as the capacity of the condenser decreases. Sensitivity of the temperature compensator may be adjusted to the desired value by use of a thermometer 2'.' (Figure 1) of substantially the necessary sensitivity and by horizontal adjustment of the segments 36 of the metallic strip 33 adjacent the thermometer. It is also realized that more than one thermometer or more than one compensator per condenser may be used if desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a system for measuring the dielectric constant of a iiuid, a condenser having an outer and an inner concentric cylindrical plates, said plates being electrically insulated and spaced from each other to form a condenser cell adapted to receive a dielectric uid between said plates, a mercury column type thermometer having its mercury bulb end inserted within the inner cylindrical plate in capacitative coupling therewith, an elongated metallic compensator bar member rigidly affixed and electrically connected to the outer cylindrical plate, said compensator bar being mounted in parallel relationship and closely adjacent to said thermometer, lateral adjusting means on said compensator for regulating the amount of capacitative coupling between said compensator and said mercury column, and means for connecting said two plates to terminals ci opposite polarity.

2. A temperature-compensating condenser apparatus comprising two plate elements adapted to receive a uid dielectric therebetween, a thermometer comprising an expansible mercury column capacitatively coupled with one of said plates and in thermal communication with said dielectric fluid, an elongated metallic bar member rigidly axed and electrically connected to the other plate, said bar member being closely adjacent and substantially parallel to said thermometer, a plurality of adjusting members laterally movable with regard :to said compensator for regulating the amount of capacitative coupling between said compensator and said mercury column, whereby the total capacity of the condenser apparatus is maintained substantially constant by changes in the amount of capacitative coupling between said bar member and said mercury column caused by temperature-responsive changes in the length of said mercury column, said changes being suicient for substantially oise'fting changes in the total capacity of the condenser caused by temperature-responsive changes in the dielectric constant of said fluid, and means for connecting said two plates to terminals of opposite polarity. FRANCIS B. ROLFSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the i'ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,450,023 Edelman Mar. 27, 1923 1,472,125 Keeler Oct. 30, 1923 1,976,904 Terman Oct. 16, 1934 2,071,607 Bjorndal Feb. 23, 1937 2,081,914 Dow June 1, 1937 2,097,100 Linsell Oct. 26, 1937 2,222,221 Burford Nov. 19, 1940 2,266,114 Bartlett Dec.l 16, 1941 2,297,346 Crist Sept. 29, 1942 2,365,706 Keinath Dec. 26, 1944 2,456,117 Feller Dec. 14, 1948 2,485,579 Elliot Oct. 25, 1949 

